


Rational Minds & Anxious Hearts

by EmJ93



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Spoilers - Jumin's Route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-06-09 02:19:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15257256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmJ93/pseuds/EmJ93
Summary: A fic following my Custom MC, Kate Lee, through the events of Jumin's Route, beginning with travelling to his penthouse on Day 7, and eventually ending with the RFA Party on Day 11.





	1. First Meeting

"What am I even doing?" Kate Lee muttered to herself for what felt like the thousandth time in the last few days. She'd asked herself that question so many times in recent memory that it was starting to become a personal mantra. " _This is a terrible idea._ "

  It had been a terrible idea to follow the instructions of a stranger's text and wander off to some unknown location without telling anyone what she was doing. It had been a terrible idea to agree to join an organisation of people she had never met before.  An even worse idea to take up residence in the apartment of a deceased woman she knew nothing about, no matter how temporary she kept assuring herself her stay would be. It was an _absolutely absurd_ idea to go visit the home of a man she had never met, particularly this late at night. And yet here she was, on her way to do just that. 

  But she couldn't deny the fact that, however strange the circumstances of their introduction, she'd very quickly grown attached to the members of the RFA over the last few days, and attached Jumin Han in particular. In basically no time at all, she'd found herself becoming excited any time she saw him logged into the messenger, and had more than once been teased by a co-worker for 'smiling like a fool' when she saw his name flash up on her screen during her lunch break. She'd tried to rationalise her behaviour as simply the buzz of a new friendship, but when she actually allowed herself to stop and think about it, she knew that she didn't react the same way to the other new friends that she had made through the RFA as she did when it came to Jumin.

  Whatever the true reasoning behind it, she had to acknowledge that he was special to her. And she couldn't just sit back and watch this special person suffer when she had the opportunity to do something that could potentially help him. So, however much of a terrible idea the rational part of her brain was telling her that it was, she was going to go to his home and check in on him in person. It was the least she could do.

 Within an hour of leaving work, Kate had called into the C&R offices and been hustled into the back of a luxury vehicle, heading in the direction of Jumin's home. Nerves getting the better of her, she pulled out her phone, scrolling back through the Messenger chats and chewing absently on her lower lip. For all his protests that he was 'carrying on as normal', it was clear that Jumin was feeling out of sorts. And who could blame him, honestly. This whole scenario with his father was ridiculous, though Kate would be the first to admit she wasn't necessarily the foremost expert on healthy family relationships. Still, trying to force your son into marriage against his will surely wasn't a normal thing to do, right?

 She let out a sigh, glancing up out of the window of the vehicle and seeing the city roll past outside. Focusing on no particular part of the landscape, she tried and failed to bury her nerves. Just because Jumin wasn't feeling so great didn't necessarily mean that _she_ should be going to visit him. What if he didn't want her there? She _was_ a complete stranger, after all. They'd only been chatting for a week. _This is a terrible idea_. The others kept saying that she understood him better than anyone, that he was kinder to her than to others, but surely that couldn't actually be true. They barely knew each other, there was no way that he actually favored her over other people, and it was ridiculous to think that she could know him better than people who had known him for years.

 Any chance she had to change her mind about her course of action was quickly lost as the vehicle pulled to a stop outside of a tall building, and the driver pulled open the door for her. She hesitated for a second. What exactly was she supposed to say to the bodyguards? _"Hi, I'm a total stranger to you, but please let me into the home of potentially one of the most rich and powerful people in the country"?_ Surely _that_ wouldn't work! But thankfully she was saved from the potentially awkward exchange when her driver quickly explained to security that she had been sent by Jumin's assistant, and it seemed that verifying her name and giving the vague explanation of "I'm a member of the RFA" seemed to be enough to qualify her for entry.

 The ride up to the top of the building seemed to take an eternity, every moment that passed by allowing her traitorous mind to come up with another scenario of how the night could go wrong. By the time she reached the door into the top floor penthouse where Jumin apparently resided, her stomach was twisted into knots. _Another way this could go wrong; throw up all over him_. After prompting from the security guard who had accompanied her, she took a deep breath, and pushed open the door. Waiting on the other side, she found Jumin Han, staring right at her with an expression of confusion and wonder.

 "I didn't know that Assistant Kang would send you." He remarked, in a tone that suggested he was talking more to himself than to her. There was a beat of silence as they both observed each other across the room. She looked for signs of what had caused Jaehee to worry so badly about his wellbeing earlier in the day. He looked a little tired, she supposed, but it was getting on in the day, and he seemed otherwise well put together.  

 "Sorry." He apologised suddenly, though Kate saw no reason for him to do so. "I just stared into your eyes."

 And at that, all of her anxiety seemed to dissipate in an instant. She was actually here. And he was right there. She found a wide smile spreading across her face. "Jumin, I'm so happy to finally meet you!"

 

 


	2. Unexpected Development

 "Good morning, Miss Elizabeth." Kate Lee greeted, dropping down onto the ground to sit cross-legged beside the cage that currently held Jumin's precious pet. Slipping a hand between the bars, she let Elizabeth the 3rd determine she was no threat, before running her fingers through thick white fur in a soothing motion. She was maintaining a cheerful disposition during her unexpected stay, though whether that was for the benefit of Jumin, the cat, or herself, she wasn't entirely certain. "Don't you worry, Elizabeth, we'll have you out of there in no time. Just as soon as Jumin is feeling better."

  _Ah. Jumin_. On the surface, the man had seemed to be doing fine since her arrival at his home the evening before, and yet she knew that the very fact his beloved companion cat was locked away spoke volumes as to his deteriorating mental state. Thinking back with a critical eye, it was clear to her that a number of times the night before, his behaviour had gone beyond normal levels of excitement and instead bordered on being manic. However, in the quiet moments, she had noticed his silver-grey eyes were filled with a complicated mix of sadness and loneliness that had only served to break her heart to think about. She wished that there was something she could do to help him tackle everything that was going on in his mind right now, all of these unaddressed problems and emotions that were clearly weighing him down and beginning to tear him apart. But how much help could a woman that he had only just met be, really, when dealing with such personal issues?

 Hearing the man in question emerge from the kitchen door, off to the side, Kate looked up at him with a smile, the fingers of one hand still stroking through Elizabeth's fur.

 "Your sleepy eyes look very cute." He greeted, and she felt a slight blush rise onto her cheeks, despite her reservations about the current situation. "I had something I wanted to say to you; do you have a moment?"

 "Yes, of course." Giving Elizabeth a parting scratch behind the ear, she rose to her feet and smoothed her clothing, moving closer to Jumin. "Why don't we talk over breakfast? The pancakes smell delicious! It's very kind of you to treat me like that."

 **

 After a brief discussion over strawberry pancakes, it was decided that Jumin would return to his office for a while, to try and improve the situation there and to lighten the workload that he had caused for Jaehee, so long as Kate would remain in his home to watch over Elizabeth the 3rd while he was gone. She was both surprised and a little flattered to learn that the man who had only a week before been intensely suspicious of her, now confirmed that he trusted her more than almost anyone else, and would only feel safe enough to return to his normal routine were she to stay and guard the most important thing in his life. 

 "If anything happens, you will call me, right?" Jumin beseeched, for maybe the third or fourth time since they'd started discussing the possibility of her staying to look after his cat. "You have to let me know if anyone tries to do anything to you. Of course, nothing like that will happen I'm sure..."

  _What are you even doing? This is a terri_ \- Kate squashed the concerns of her nervous mind before they could begin, reaching out to give Jumin's arm a supportive squeeze. She'd wanted a way to help him, and now she had one. "Everything will be fine, Jumin. There's no need to worry. You just do what you need to do, and I can take care of Elizabeth."

 "You have such a beautiful heart."  He gave her a genuine smile, holding her gaze for a moment longer than she would expect from someone she had known for so little time. "Just wait a moment, I'll introduce you to the Chief of Security."

 "Of course. Is there anything special that I need to know to take care of Elizabeth?"

 "Well, she's inside the cage so there won't be much for you to do. I'll give her food before I go, but if I don't return until the afternoon, you'll need to give her more. The cage opens like this..." Leaning over the cage to demonstrate the lock mechanism, Jumin unlatched the door and lifted out Elizabeth's food bowl. "And her food is under the bar table in the kitchen."

 "Got it."

 A gentle expression crossed over his face as he looked down at the cat, pouring food into her bowl, and Kate's heart hurt to consider how dear the animal clearly was to him, and how tragic it was that he had ended up in a situation where he felt that any of this was necessary. "Today's food is for your weight loss, Elizabeth 3rd.You haven't been moving much in the cage. You'll spend the morning with Kate; she's a nice person so I hope you get to know her better."

 "She looks tired inside that cage." Kate started, carefully watching his face to be sure that she wasn't crossing any kind of line with the topic. Finding no immediate resistance from him, she queried. "When will she be able to come out again?"

 "I don't intend to keep her inside the cage forever." After a brief moment, he added, with a curious expression, "...You don't seem to like the cage?"

 "I worry for both of you when I see her locked away like that." Kate replied, honestly. Though she tried to keep her tone light, she hoped that he would be able to grasp the gravity of what she was saying. "I don't think that it's a good thing." 

 This seemed to throw him somewhat, and he backtracked on the conversation a little, clearly unsure of how to respond to her frank response. "...Anyway, please take care of Elizabeth 3rd while I'm gone."

 "I will." She nodded, deciding to let the subject go for the time being. The cat would be ok like this for a short while, and hopefully returning to some of his normal duties today would help Jumin start to think more clearly, and he'd soon be able to reconsider his current behaviour.

 "You called for me, Mr Han?" An unfamiliar man's voice queried from the other side of the door to the penthouse.

 "Ah, the Chief of Security is here." Jumin clarified, before addressing the other man. "Yes, come in. You can leave the door open."

 "Oh, you let the cat out." The man remarked, softly, as he entered the room, and it occurred to Kate that Jumin had even more people around him that were concerned about his wellbeing than he knew. It was not only the other RFA members, but even those who worked for him, who had noticed that he was behaving out of sorts lately.

 "Once she's finished eating, I'll put her back in the cage." Jumin responded, a little absently. "But more importantly, I'll be out for a while. While I'm gone, please be sure to give proper protection to Kate here."

 "I'm going to be cat-sitting for a little while." Kate smiled, and Elizabeth let out a meow as though she knew she was the topic of discussion.

 "I did see her when she entered." The Security Chief informed Jumin, before addressing her with a friendly attitude. "It's nice to meet you, Kate. If anything happens, you can call for me anytime."

 Another meow from Elizabeth, though this one seemed more... distant, somehow? She tried to shake that idea from her mind.

 "Uh, Mr Han?"

 "If my father, Sarah or Glam Choi attempt to visit me, please call me first."

 "Uh, yes. I'm sorry to interrupt you Mr Han, but..."

 "What is it?"

 "Something white moved past at a very fast speed just now."

 A sense of dread suddenly washed over Kate, and her head snapped down to where the cat had been eating her breakfast mere moments before, the bottom seeming to drop out of her stomach as she found the spot empty. "Oh no, no, no. _Elizabeth_!?"

 "Elizabeth the 3rd...?" Jumin's face was a portrait of horror as he looked about the area for his cat, but found only an empty apartment at every turn. "She was there just now... where did she go?"

 Kate was sure she was going to throw up, the tension of the situation too much to bear. Tears pricked in the corner of her eyes at the dejected tone of Jumin's voice as he realised that Elizabeth had gone. Why was this happening right now, at the worst possible timing? Jumin was already feeling complicated enough, and adding the trauma of losing his precious companion was surely only going to push him further over the edge. He needed to get better, not worse. That was why she had come here in the first place, and yet, had she not been here to need introducing to the security guards, none of this could have happened. _What were you even thinking? This was a terrible idea._ Maybe it would have been better if she had never come? 

  _Shit._ They needed to find the cat. 

 


	3. An Unwelcome Visitor

 She'd been banned from joining the search for Elizabeth the 3rd. Jumin had insisted that he needed her to remain in the apartment with a wild, anxious look in his eye, before rushing off with the security guard to review the CCTV cameras and try to track down the cat, while she was left alone in a large and unfamiliar apartment, wondering how things had managed to go so wrong so quickly. Her initial hope that the cat hadn't gone too far and that everything might get back on track again without too much fuss was quickly dashed, and she found herself pacing around Jumin's penthouse, wishing once more that there was anything at all that she could do to help.

  An hour passed, and then another, and left alone with nothing but her thoughts, Kate Lee found herself beginning to get quite anxious. If he couldn't find the cat, Jumin's emotional state was only going to start deteriorating further. She wanted to help him, but so far she only seemed to be making things worse. Maybe it would be better if she just left? Though leaving right now probably wasn't the best idea, giving how panicked Jumin had looked when he had walked out the door. And despite the fact that she didn't really seem to be helping matters, the idea of leaving him alone when he was so vulnerable didn't quite sit right with her. She'd have to at least wait until he got back and judge the situation when she had more information.

 It took over three hours for Jumin to return home, a dejected look on his face and Elizabeth the 3rd nowhere to be seen, and Kate found herself on the verge of tears as he sadly explained that there was no sign of Elizabeth on any of the cameras, and that it seemed that she had somehow managed to escape the building. As unlikely as that seemed on the surface, Kate suspected that if she had, in fact, still been somewhere nearby they would have had to have found her after hours of thorough searching, so it surely must be the case.

 "It'll be okay, Jumin." She reassured, reaching across to place a comforting hand on his arm as she looked up into his eyes, and pushing her own uncertainties to one side for now. "Please don't look so sad. We'll find her."

 Jumin forced a smile. "Yes. We will. Alive or not, we'll find her." His face fell back to sadness once more. "But... more than that, I can't accept the fact that she tried to run away from me. I feel like all the love that I've given her for years has gone to waste. How do I express how I am feeling right now? I feel as if I've been betrayed."

 "I'm sure that's not what she intended." Kate reassured, searching for the right words that might soothe the ache in his heart. "I may not know Elizabeth well, but I've been around a lot of animals, and sometimes they just get spooked. I'm certain she never meant to make you feel sad."

 "I- Why am I like this? This is very unlike me. Kate... could you stay a bit longer with me?"

 "Of course." She heard the words tumbling out of her mouth before she had time to think them through, her heart desperately wanting to find a way to soften the hopelessly sad and conflicted expression on Jumin's face, even despite her brain's concerns. "I'll be here until you're feeling better, Jumin. You can trust me."

 He let out a breath, her words seeming to alleviate some of his anxiety. "Thank you, Kate. It hasn't been long since we've met, and I don't want to burden you... I'm sorry that I can't be more peaceful. I hate myself like this. It's the first time I'm hitting rock bottom."

 Her response was drowned out by the sound of a knock at the door, and they both turned to see who it was.

 One of the security guards, who Kate recognised from her arrival the night before, entered, looking a little troubled as he addressed Jumin. "Mr Han, Miss Sarah has come to see you."

 Kate bit her bottom lip, nibbling at it anxiously. Of course Sarah had to show up right now. As much as she'd wanted to give the woman a piece of her mind whilst she'd been watching the events of the last couple of days unfold from behind the screen of her phone, she knew that _more_ drama was really not what was needed right now, and would certainly only make the situation worse.

 "The worst woman at the worst timing." Jumin remarked, as though reading her mind.

 "Sarah says she knows something about Elizabeth the 3rd." The security guard informed, though he looked reluctant to do so. "She... er, she says she must tell you face to face."

 There was a long silence, before Jumin murmured, "I don't want to let that woman in. I'm sure what she has to say is a lie, but... what do you think, Kate?"

 "Oh! Um..." Not expecting to be asked for her opinion, Kate took a moment to think over her response. "I think... that nothing bad can come out of hearing some information. Given the situation with Elizabeth, maybe you should let her in to talk, and then you can judge for yourself whether or not what she says is helpful."

 "Thank you for believing in me." Jumin gave her a tired smile, before nodding to the bodyguard to go and retrieve Sarah. "It's highly likely that she thinks of this situation as an opportunity... but if I think that the information she provides is useless, then that will give me a reason to never see her face again. I wish that woman would just say 'I have Elizabeth the 3rd. Give me your money.' like a villain. Let's hope for it."

 "That would make everything a lot simpler." Kate agreed, with a smile that she didn't quite feel as she attempted to push down her anxieties once more. _What are you doing? This is-_

 The door burst open dramatically, and a woman that Kate recognised from the online articles about Jumin's 'engagement' began to make her way into the living space, before having her route blocked by a security guard, keeping her in the doorway for now.

 "Jumin! Oh my! You look so tired!!" Sarah announced, by way of a greeting, and Kate found herself biting down on her lip again, nervousness bubbling up in her stomach as she processed all of the many ways this conversation could go wrong. "But no need to worry! I, Sarah, am here, so everything will be solved! ...Can I come in?" 

 "First, let me here what you have to say." Jumin instructed, as the woman looked about dubiously, frowning at the security that were keeping her contained in the doorway.

 "You're just going to keep me here standing? That's mean, even with the depressing situation. All the security guards are watching; I want to talk to you alone!" With an over-exaggerated frown that didn't seem particularly genuine at all, she added, "And! If someone has taken the trouble to visit you, shouldn't you at least say hello? I'm about to feel _quite_ upset."

 "Hello." Jumin remarked, and Kate was saddened to see that all of the emotion he had been showing when it had been just the two of them; the tiredness in his face, the unsurety in his eyes; anything that might have been perceived as being vulnerable, had now been replaced with a mask of cold indifference. "I highly admire your tenacity."

 "Tenacity...?" Sarah frowned for a moment, tilting her head a little as though she wasn't sure what the remark had meant, before she brushed it off, and jumped back into what Kate was beginning to suspect was a pre-practiced speech. "A-Anways! Loosen up that face! After I found out that you lost your cat, I've been calling everywhere to ask if they've seen a cat like Elizabeth."

 "And?"

 "And then, _not even ten minutes later_ , I got a call saying that they found the cat! How lucky, don't you think?" She smiled brightly, tossing her hair back behind her shoulder for dramatic effect, before continuing. "See, you and I are meant to be with each other! You lost something and I found it; what would you do with out me?!"

 "Where is the cat?" Jumin queried, face still not betraying a hint of emotion.

 "It's not with me yet. There is a photo... do you want to see it?"

 "Yes, I do."

 "Are you still going to keep me outside? I'll show it to you when I get in, okay?" Sarah's voice took on a sugary-sweet tone that Kate suspected in other circumstances would make her sound very innocent and unassuming, but given everything that she knew about the woman it was hard to believe that she was either of those things.

 "I'll see the photo first." Jumin instructed, firmly.

 " _I'll show you when I get in!!_ " Sarah snapped, physically pushing her way past the security guard that had been keeping her in the doorway, catching the man off-guard and managing to make her way properly into the living space. 

 The guard leapt into action as soon as he realised the woman had slipped past him, moving towards Jumin in case he was in any kind of danger. "Don't force your way in!" He snapped in Sarah's direction, before checking on Jumin. "Mr Han... are you okay, Sir?"

 "I'm fine." Jumin informed, letting out a long sigh before addressing Sarah once more. "If you want to come in so desperately, then I suppose I have no choice."

 The security guards excused themselves at Jumin's request, taking up a position at the other side of the doorway and instructing Jumin to call if he needed them, though Kate couldn't help but muse that if Sarah turned suddenly violent towards Jumin for any reason, she could probably take the other woman in a fight, and the bodyguards may not actually be necessary.

 "I'm not a stranger, you know!" Sarah continued, dramatically waving her hands around to accentuate each point that she was making. "I just want to enter my fiance's home! What's the fuss all about?! I...." She trailed off, eyes locking onto Kate for the first time since she arrived. "...Who is that woman?"

 "Show me the photo." Jumin instructed, his clipped tone making it clear that he in no way wanted to engage her in any sort of conversation, and would rather just get this whole exchange over with as soon as humanly possible.

 "Your hidden lover?" Sarah pressed, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Kate, as though _she_ were the uninvited guest, and not the other way around.

 Trying to remain as patient and friendly as possible, Kate replied. "It's nothing like that, really. Just show us the photo of Elizabeth, please?"

 "Oh my! Look at that girl lying through her teeth." Sarah shot Kate a look that was downright venomous, and it took all of her strength not to physically recoil from the glare. "What the _hell_ are you doing in my fiance's house in the middle of the day?"

 "Who's whose fiance?" Jumin frowned, thankfully interrupting Kate's reply, which upon immediate reflection she suspected would have only made the situation a lot worse.

 With a smile in Jumin's direction that was somewhere between creepy and seductive, she remarked. "Jumin, there's no need to be shy. I know everything." Glaring once more in Kate's direction, she added, pointedly. "I'm sure she's _just a hook-up_. I'm not a woman who makes fusses about these things. I'm sure this is _nothing_. It's fine." Turning her attention back to Jumin once more to find his expression completely unchanged, she let out an exaggerated sigh, holding up her hands as if in defeat. "Alright, alright. Don't look at me like that! You'll feel much better if I show you the photo. Now here! It's her right?"

 Producing a photo of a cat from her handbag, with a dramatic flare, she held it out for Jumin to see. When he made no response after studying it for a moment, Sarah prompted; "It's Elizabeth."

 "Unfortunately, it's not."

 She clearly had not anticipated this response. Eye's widening briefly, she hurriedly tried to find the words to put herself back in control of the conversation. "What? Look closer! All cats kind of look alike. White fur and blue eyes! It's her! What do you mean it's not?!" Realising that this wasn't working, she quickly changed tactics, stumbling over her words as she tried to find a way to convince him. "Maybe the photo didn't come out well? It might be Elizabeth if you actually see her. Do you want to go see her with me?"

 A negative response from Jumin was apparently enough to push her over the edge, and Sarah snapped completely, her carefully constructed facade falling apart into genuine anger now that she could no longer figure out how to get her way. " _You have no idea_ how hard it was for me to find a similar looking cat in such a short time!! Jumin, are you really going to be this _rude_?!"

 "I'm afraid I cannot see you off." Jumin replied, as though nothing about the woman's demeanor had changed at all, and Kate realised with a sad twinge in her heart that this probably wasn't the first time that he had experienced a woman behaving this way towards him. She wondered briefly how many times he'd been through the process of someone pretending to care about him, then turning cold or angry when they realised that they weren't going to get what they wanted out of him. Any number of times was too high, she mused, but it occurred to her now that he had clearly been through the process so often that he now preemptively kept all people at an arms length. "I'll call someone to escort you, and I hope that we will not have to see each other again. I will tell my father what happened today."

 "E-ever again? What!? _Are you breaking up with me_?"

 "Break up? How strange of you to say that when we have never been together, If you thought that exchanging a few words was being together, then you are delusional." There was a brief pause, and then, "In addition, that photo of the cat can easily be found online."

 "I- I must have been tricked!" Sarah backpedaled, clearly having no intention of leaving the penthouse just yet, putting her innocent persona back into place, and pretending like they hadn't just heard  any of her angry outbursts.

 "Will you please leave?" Jumin asked again, gesturing towards the door. "I don't wish to further waste my time, as I must find my cat. I will tell my father that you brought a fake photo here to win my affections, and if he has any sense left in him at all, he will stop talking about the marriage."

 "Wait, Jumin! Don't try to call off the marriage on your own! Is it because of that woman?" Sarah queried, levelling a withering glare in Kate's direction. "I'm going to tell Mr Han first! That you've got another woman!!" There was a few silent moments, before Sarah frowned deeply, realising she was still not getting the reaction that she was aiming for. "What? Are you two in love or something? That assistant didn't mention anything like this."

 Kate felt suddenly very self-conscious, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it was the line of questioning. _Was_ she in love with Jumin? _Love_ was surely too strong of a word; they hadn't even met in person this time yesterday, after all. And yet, she couldn't deny that she had some kind of feelings towards him. Feelings that kept driving her to do things that she really should be thinking better of, just because she wanted to be there for him. But she wasn't going to discuss any of this with the desperate woman standing in front of them.

 Sarah had turned her attention now to Kate, apparently hoping she might be an easier target to get a reaction from, and regarded her with a sharp glare. "If you think you're going to get a designer bag by being with him, make sure I don't catch you! I don't know where you came from but rich families have a reputation to keep up! So don't even think about doing something funny!"

 "Look, Sarah," Kate began, before deciding her tone was a little too forceful, and taking a breath to calm herself down a little. "I'm just Jumin's _friend_. Please try and watch what you say."

 "Friend? When you're alone with him in his house? _And_ it looks like you spent the night here. _It's so obvious_! Jumin, how could you do this to me!? Mr Han loves you so much, how could you be so rude when he picked me? I _can't_ just leave like this!"

 "I wanted to end this quickly since Kate is watching, but this reminds me of an episode in a soap opera." Jumin responded, emotion starting to work its way back into his voice and face. "This has become unnecessarily troublesome, but I'll do it for my father. Your fake tears, your timid threats, it's all so cliche that I can't help but laugh."

 "I- I mean it!" Sarah insisted. "I'm really going to tell Mr Han. No use stopping me now."

 "I can guarantee you that your threats are pointless to me. I've gone through this multiple times in the past. You should just use your energy on something else in life."

 "You're mad at me now, right?" Sarah queried, seeming a little shocked that she'd finally managed to get an emotional reaction from him after so long baiting one. "Just be honest!"

 "Not yet. I don't get angry very often." Jumin refuted, though there was something in his behaviour that put Kate on edge, and she felt herself wanting to comfort him.To tell him that everything was going to be okay, and that this woman wasn't worth his time. No matter how hard she tried, the words wouldn't seem to come out. "But you've annoyed me enough to make me talk. I know very much from experience that people like you will do whatever it takes to get what you want, but you easily fall to nihilism once you've acquired that wealth you so coveted. I... felt pity. A life filled with pointlessness. But I suppose that's the life you want?"

 Looking between the eager gleam in Sarah's eye and the barely contained annoyance on Jumin's face, Kate felt her stomach twisting into knots. Something bad was about to happen.  _What is he doing? This is a terrible idea._

 "I've had all the wealth ever since I was born. Do you want some? A couple million, is that what you want? Tell me. If you ask for it, I might give it to you."


	4. The Kiss

 Stomach twisted into tight knots, Kate Lee was fairly confident she was about to throw up entirely from the tension of the situation. Jumin stared down his would-be fiancee across the room, and though she wasn't entirely sure what his plan was right now, the way the conversation was going she was fairly sure she didn't like it. And she was getting increasingly frustrated at herself for suggesting that he let the woman in here and allow her to say her piece in the first place. _What were you even thinking?_

"You need money, right? It's nothing to me." Jumin had a hardened expression on his face as he looked across at Sarah, who, despite her attempts to hide it, seemed to be wondering how she'd managed to get quite so lucky.

Kate finally shook herself out of her stupor before her thoughts could begin to spiral any further, moving across to Jumin and placing a supportive hand on his arm. She was there for him. She'd promised to be by his side until he was feeling better. And right now he seemed to be doing worse. "Jumin, I think that maybe you're feeling too emotional right now. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kate." He assured, face softening slightly as his eyes found hers. Despite her own anxiety over everything that was going on, she knew that her focus needed to be on his wellbeing. After all, he had to be the one feeling the worst during all of this. He was being pressured into something he didn't want, he'd lost his cat, and his support system was breaking down quickly. She couldn't entirely believe when he told her that he was fine, but what she _could_ do was trust that he knew what he was doing and lend him her support. So, with a nod, she stepped back slightly.

"You- You're being too harsh!" Sarah snapped at her, before turning her hungry eyes onto Jumin. "Can you write me a check right now?"

"I do not like talking about impossible things."

"So you mean it? Then... about 3 million. With that I'll say no to the marriage, with the condition that I'll put it nicely to Mr. Han." The woman considered her words for a moment, and then nodded firmly, apparently quite happy with the deal that she'd proposed. "This will be better, I suppose. It's a win-win then."

"Got you."

All of the intensity that Jumin had been emanating leading up to this moment dropped away in an instant, a half smile forming on his lips. Kate found herself letting out a breath that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. _Oh thank God. It was a ruse._

"Wait... why are you smiling?"

"I just repeated some lines from a soap opera I watched. It's funny that you're almost replaying the scene for me." Jumin informed, coolly.

Sarah's face worked its way through several emotions in the space of a couple of seconds. The excitement of someone who was fairly certain she was about to get a large check gave way to a deep frown. From confusion, she finally settled on anger. "You were messing with me!? God! _Who the hell do you think you are!?_ "

"Unfortunately, I will be charged with embezzlement if I use company assets for personal means. I'm not keen on being behind bars." Jumin flashed Kate a reassuring smile, seeming to want to make sure that she knew he was definitely alright, and to make certain that she wasn't worrying about him unnecessarily. Given the events of the morning, she wasn't going to stop worrying about him so easily, but she had to admit that she suddenly felt a lot less tense knowing that he had never had any intention of giving that woman anything that she wanted.

"Are you _out of your mind?!_ " Sarah yelled, apparently having decided that she was somehow the victim in all of this, despite the fact that all Kate had seen her do since the moment she walked into the apartment was lie, threaten and manipulate. It was hard to feel sorry for someone who had never showed even an ounce of genuineness since the moment they had met.

"Yes." Jumin responded, simply. He gave Sarah a cold look as he continued. "You come here with a fake photo of my cat that you found online and insult my dear Kate. My joke is only fair, don't you think?" 

_M-my Kate_? Kate's heart skipped a beat. Did he just call her ' _his_ dear Kate'?

"I've never insulted her!" Sarah announced, sharply. "And the cat photo... I was tricked too! Really, isn't it rude that _you_ let another woman into your house when you're engaged? And such an _average_ looking girl, at that!"

"Do you... Do you _still_ think that you haven't insulted me, or..?" Kate queried with a frown, shooting the other woman an unhappy look despite her desire to remain the better person throughout all of this. She wasn't exactly thrilled that she was being dragged into this woman's schemes when all she'd been trying to do was support her... friend? Guy that she'd just met but felt a connection with? Potential future boyfriend? _Friend_. ...It was _friend_ , right?

"Kate is not an 'average girl'." Jumin refuted, before letting out a long sigh. With a dejected look, he added. "You won't understand even if I explain it to you. It seems we have no more to talk about. Why don't you leave?"

"No! I can't leave like this, it isn't fair!!" Sarah pouted.

"I don't know what is 'not fair', but if you do not wish to leave, then I'll use you as an excuse to do what I want."

"...What are you talking about?"

"There was something I wanted to do, but I just couldn't come up with a proper excuse." Jumin turned his attention suddenly to Kate, who gave him a curious tilt of the head. _What is he thinking?_ "You'll have to excuse me, Kate. I was going to do this soon, anyways."

Suddenly everything was warm. Jumin's arms wrapped around her in a sudden tight embrace, one hand resting gently against her face as he tenderly pushed back her hair, smoothing it behind one ear. Something soft and pleasant brushed against her lips, and after a brief moment, it occurred to her that he was kissing her. She parted her lips, partially from surprise, partially from desire, kissing him back, the heat of the moment washing away all other thoughts or concerns. None of it mattered right now. All that mattered was this. The two of them. Him and her. 

... And Sarah.

"J-Jumin?" Kate pulled back, as casually as someone could remove themselves from a kiss when they suddenly remembered that the person kissing them hadn't exactly been feeling themselves lately, and was probably far too emotionally vulnerable to be making rational decisions right now. And also that they had an audience made up of a woman who was essentially stalking that person in an attempt to marry them for their money. _This is a terrible idea_.

"Shh," Jumin soothed, and she found herself very quickly beginning to miss his warmth, and the scent of his cologne, despite not even having known either until a few moments before. "You're blushing."

Having it pointed out like that only made her face flush further, and she dropped her eyes away from his face, finding a particular spot of the plush carpet of his penthouse suddenly very interesting and deserving of her full attention. Head and heart bickering over how she felt about the situation, about _the kiss_ , she found that she was able to form no words to express herself.

"Having an audience for our first kiss really takes the tension off." Jumin confided, as though Sarah weren't still standing _right there_ , surely no more than a few feet away from them. _Did he say 'first kiss', implying that there'll be more? That's... probably not what's important right now, is it?_ "Your lips are so warm and soft... and I think I smell a bit of the pancake?"

"Ugh! I'm going to tell Ms Choi! I've _never_ been so insulted!!" Sarah yelled, face flashing with fury before she finally turned and stomped out of the apartment.

"Good. She's leaving."

Though Kate had to admit she shared that sentiment, she knew that there were more important things that they needed to discuss. Meeting his eyes with what she hoped was a meaningful intensity, she spoke up. "Um, Jumin? Please don't take this the wrong way, but... should we really be doing this?"

"To be honest, I've wanted to kiss you from the first moment I saw you. I'm sorry if that was too sudden. I wanted you to be comfortable here... perhaps I've bothered you, but I don't regret what I did."

A part of her heart soared at his frank confession, but her rational brain remained in control. As nice as it might be to know he also had some kind of feelings for her, now definitely wasn't the right time for them to be exploring that. He'd been acting so out of character that Jaehee had been concerned about him. Less than an hour ago he'd been frantically searching for the missing Elizabeth, and this whole situation with Sarah... hadn't exactly ended well. She was almost certainly going to tell Jumin's father that he was 'having an affair', as though they were actually in any kind of relationship.

"I'm just... I'm concerned that this may not be appropriate... while Elizabeth is missing." Kate admitted.

"This has nothing to do with that." Jumin assured, though she wasn't entirely convinced. "It's my emotions. And Elizabeth isn't here, but you are. Oh! I just realised something after the kiss. That you are indeed different from Elizabeth the 3rd. The special person who can truly understand m.e.. who I can touch and kiss and understand what I am saying. I've known this for a while. That I need someone like you, not a cat. And seeing you right in front of my eyes... I finally feel like I've gotten what I wanted. Elizabeth the 3rd, even if I find her again, is just a cat. But you're different. You can soak in all of my emotions. You can be mine. That makes me so happy."

_This is a terrible idea._ "Jumin... maybe we should just take a moment to calm down and think? You were really worried about Elizabeth only a few minutes ago."

"I've never been so sure of my feelings. Now that Elizabeth the 3rd isn't here, it must be ironic that I'm so happy. But I've realised what I truly wanted thanks to my cat going missing. I want you. And I want you to want me too. I mean this."

Too fast. This was _way_ too fast. And he clearly wasn't thinking rationally right now. "I... think that any relationship needs time. We've only known each other a couple of days. It may be wise for us to think about it. First, let's find Elizabeth, then we can talk about this."

"I can understand if you need time. Just don't leave my side right now. I'll try to be the man who can do anything for you. That's... that's what everyone expected from me ever since I was little." A sadness crept into his eyes, before he seemed to squash it back down, and added, quietly. "I won't say much more, Kate. Even if it takes time, I want to have everything you are. So just stay with me."

"Jumin, I..." for a brief moment, Kate was unsure how to respond. While it was apparent that he wasn't exactly thinking the most clearly right now, and that whatever emotional turmoil he was dealing with was causing him to make some rash judgements, the earnestness in his eyes as he'd spoke about how much she meant to him had thrown her, and she once again found the desire to do what she could to help him taking over. The words flowed straight from her heart and out of her mouth, with no space in between for her logical brain to intervene. "I hope that you understand that I don't have any expectations of you. I'm not looking for anything from you. But even though I think we should take this a little slower, I understand that right now you're feeling pretty... _anxious_ , and I don't want to do anything that might make you feel worse."  _What are you even doing? This is a terrible idea._  "So for now, I'll stay."


	5. Doubt

 City lights stretched out in the darkness below Kate Lee as she looked out from her spot by the window in the guest bedroom of Jumin's penthouse apartment. Far below, street lights and car headlights lit the way for the rest of the world getting on with their every day lives, none of them dealing with anything out of the ordinary. None of them had followed a text from an unknown source in the last week, and ended up joining an organisation of strangers mourning their late friend. None of them were being asked to stay with a near-stranger who they might be in love with, but who was very definitely in the midst of an emotional crisis. _What are you even doing?_  Letting out a long sigh, she glanced back down at her phone, still no further forward on how to reply to the text lighting up the screen than she had been when it had first arrived half an hour ago.

  _Hey Kate, called by your place earlier but you weren't home? Wasn't important, just wanted to see you. Hope you're doing ok! x_

 It wasn't necessarily that she wanted to keep everything that was going on with the members of the RFA a secret, Kate mused, so much as she just didn't exactly know how to explain it all without making her little sister worry. And, she had to admit, the more she thought about how today had progressed, the more she thought that maybe someone _should_ be worried about her. Though she was trying to remain calm and rational no matter what the universe decided to throw at her and Jumin next, she wasn't entirely convinced that she was helping, or even _influencing_ , the situation any more.

 ** 

 After the drama with Sarah earlier in the afternoon was over and done with, Jumin had disappeared again, leaving Kate alone in the penthouse unsure of what to do with herself. She'd promised that she would stay for now, at least until he was starting to feel a little calmer, but left alone with her thoughts she had quickly realised how absurd it was to agree to put her entire life on hold for a man she barely knew, regardless of how much he might be struggling. She was an office worker, not a therapist. What was she even supposed to do? _You wouldn't have decided to stay if it wasn't for that kiss. Maybe Jumin isn't the only one that isn't thinking rationally._  She'd paced around for a while, fighting with her thoughts, before deciding she needed to do something more productive. Calling up the cat shelter she volunteered at in her spare time had revealed no new information on Elizabeth's whereabouts, but a quick internet search had given her another half dozen numbers to try for similar organisations.

 The afternoon had passed by before she'd known it, and though she hadn't managed to find any sign of Elizabeth the 3rd, she had at least felt that she'd been doing _something_ , and had managed to quiet most of her useless thoughts by the time that Jumin had returned home several hours later. 

 "I'm sorry I came back so late." He'd apologised. "I had to go here and there to publicise the missing ad for Elizabeth the 3rd, but I've ordered a bottle of wine and invited a chef. He says he'll be here late in the evening. I'm so sorry you were inside the house by yourself all day."

 "I'm just sad that you didn't find Elizabeth yet." She'd assured. "I called a few animal shelters earlier. They hadn't seen her, but they promised to call me if they hear anything."

 "It hurts to see you so sad." Jumin had responded, as he'd looked at her with concern-filled eyes, as though _she_ were the one that was suffering from everything that was going on, and not him. "I've sent out ads to everywhere I can, and said that I'll recompense, so it's only a matter of time until someone finds her. Oh, right! I hung a new dress in your closet. I can't let you wear the same clothes two days in a row... if you want, you can go change."

 "I..." Kate had been a little thrown by his sudden change in mood, and it had taken her a moment to find the right words to respond with. "Uh... thank you. It was very kind of you to think of me, but won't I need to go back to your friend's apartment soon?"

 "Rika's apartment?" Jumin had blinked, as though he were completely at a loss as to why she would need to leave. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear before. I don't want to force you to stay here, but things are too dangerous outside. Those women might try to kidnap you, and there's the possibility that the hacker is after you. I've finally found you, I don't want you to disappear from my eyes. So don't think about leaving. If you do, I might go crazy and send out wanted ads all over the country."

 "Oh, Jumin... I know that what's happened with Elizabeth has upset you, and that this whole thing with Sarah and your father's girlfriend is stressful, but..."

 "I'll take you home once things are settled, so please bear with me. But for now, I think it'll be best to familiarise yourself with this house... and being with me. What do you think?" There had been a weird intensity in Jumin's silver grey-eyes in that moment, one that seemed to flicker between anxiety and hope, and she wasn't entirely sure how to respond for the best.

 "Of course I want to spend time with you, but I can't just start living here. Besides, I think I _have_ to go back to Rika's apartment to make the party preparations."

 "Oh... right. I suppose you _do_ need to be at Rika's apartment to prepare for the party. Then just stay here for a day or two and I'll try to settle things before then. If you need to go out, make sure to take me with you, but it shouldn't be necessary for you to go outside. You can get your hair done and shop for clothes all inside this building."

 "That's great, but I do have to go back to work on Monday."

 Kate's remark had gone unheard, Jumin already caught up in his thoughts, radiating a nervous energy as he had continued to ramble on. "Since we're talking about it... I realised the moment I first saw you which hairstyle would look best, and the dress and shoes too. I even want to give you a private lesson on tea brewing with you dressed like a princess. Everyone in my family loves to brew tea."

 Kate's head had been spinning at this point, not even hearing his words any more as she had instead attempted to figure out the meaning behind them, her thoughts already beginning to spiral out of control in her mind. _This is too fast. What are you even thinking?_ "I... _what_? Jumin, what exactly _is_ our relationship to you?"

 "Commonly used terms are 'lovers', 'couple', 'companion'... I... I can't imagine a life without you right now. I wish you'd be as desperate as I am, but... I suppose that's not the case. I'm barely keeping myself from getting anxious over you. I want to protect you from everything, but at the same time I want to leave a mark on your body so that everyone knows that you're mine. You... won't understand how I feel."

 "Jumin, you... you want to take good care of me, right? If we start a relationship, you intend to look after me?"

 "Yes. I want to be the best man for you. I'm trying my best not to get so possessive, and I know that our relationship needs time. Trust will be acquired with time, and we have plenty. I'm sure that, eventually, your body and heart will become perfectly mine."

 "Time is good." Kate had emphasised. "With everything that's going on right now I know that you must be feeling... _a lot_. You don't... think of me as a replacement for Elizabeth, right?"

 "Kate, _of course_ I know that you're human, not a cat. But soon you'll realise your biggest happiness is being beside me."

 "I appreciate that you're looking out for me. I know you just want to protect me, but I _can_ take care of myself." 

 It had been at this point that Kate had gone to remove herself from the situation, worried that tensions were starting to rise, and recognising that they had begun to talk themselves in circles. Perhaps if they took some time, she had thought, they could talk about this more constructively once they had both calmed down. But she had only managed to take one step towards the living space, before Jumin had swept in front of her, and blocked path.

 "Where are you going? I can't understand why you would reject me when I'm being so considerate. Can't you be logical right now?"

 "I don't think that _I'm_ the one that's not being logical." The retort had come out in a harsher tone than she had intended, having been caught off guard by his sudden oppressive behaviour, but Jumin seemed not to notice.

 "I want to protect you so much, Kate. Why are you trying to escape from me? Will you disappear like Elizabeth the 3rd once you leave?"

 "Jumin... I'm not going to disappear. I'm not trying to 'escape'. Why don't we _both_ calm ourselves down and take some time to think?"

 "...Alright. I can give you however long you need to think this through. But please don't try to run away, the outside world is too dangerous for you. I just want to protect you. As long as you're here, I'll try my best to be calm, and I'll think about my own feelings and possessiveness. I want what is best for you Kate, it might take some time but I'll help you to see that. If anything is uncomfortable for you, I can adjust it. I might want to have you completely right now, but as precious as you are to me, I don't want to ruin the right order of things."

 "Then, perhaps you can begin by taking a few steps backwards?" Kate had requested, firmly. "You're too close, and it's making me feel uncomfortable."

 Jumin had taken a brief moment to contemplate her words, before moving back to give her some space. "My mistake. I apologise if I surprised you too much."

 "I was surprised." Kate had admitted. "Don't ever do that again."

 "I was too emotional. I was nervous that I might lose you..." Jumin had trailed off. "I apologise. I want you to feel safe here, to be comfortable living here until things are resolved. I hope that you know my sincere intentions."

 **

 On reflection, Kate was fairly certain that _had_ been being sincere. He sincerely wanted to protect her from what his anxiety viewed as valid threats, he was scared that if she were to walk out the door she might never return. His sincerity didn't excuse the fact that he was acting irrationally, she knew that, and yet she wasn't exactly being rational herself, now, was she? If she was, she surely would have taken Jumin's sudden imposing personality shift as a sign to leave. Her staying was surely only going to feed his fears, whilst leaving would show that nothing bad would happen if she were to return to her normal life. But she hadn't left. She'd chosen to stay, too moved by his clear emotional vulnerability, ignoring potential warning signs in favour of providing him with the support that she feared he would not have without her. _That was a terrible idea._

 No. It was the right thing to do. She was sure of it.

 And yet...

 **

 The few hours between Jumin returning home and the pair sitting down to dinner late in the evening passed without any major disasters. Kate had attempted to clear her head by logging into the messenger, but had found that the couple of brief conversations she had with the other members of the RFA had only served to add more stress to her day. Jaehee had been stuck at the C&R offices all day, which it seemed had dissolved into chaos without Jumin around, and she had been informed that Jumin was no longer taking calls from Jaehee, the office, or his father. Though she had promised to talk to him about it, she had found that she had begun unconsciously avoiding him after the incident earlier in the day and hadn't been entirely sure how to approach him any more. Yoosung, it seemed, was still at Seven's house after travelling there the night before, and despite the similarity in their circumstances, Kate had been fairly sure she would have preferred to have been playing videogames all day, as opposed to pacing around Jumin's penthouse calling animal shelters and going stir crazy. _You should have just left. What were you even thinking?_

 A quick shower and change of clothes had left her feeling much more refreshed, and she had been a lot calmer by the time Jumin had tracked her down to call her for dinner. He had been brimming with energy as Kate had sat down at the table, excitedly telling her about the music that was playing and the food that he had chosen for them to eat, talking to her about the possibility of going to an orchestra concert together in the future. Though Kate knew that his behaviour had still been erratic, she had suspected that beneath the anxiety that he must have been feeling, he was just the same as any other person on a first date; nervous and a little awkward. _And keeps telling you not to leave_.

 Kate had again brought up the subject of her leaving to return to the other apartment, reminding him that she needed to be there to prepare for the party, which was due to take place in only a matter of days. Jumin had remained reluctant, again citing the potential dangers of her leaving, but had promised that she would definitely be back in time to make the final preparations for the party, and Kate had decided to chalk that up as a win, or as close to one as she was going to get, at least. Asking her to stay another day or two was better than expecting her to move in, right? 

 Jumin had also mentioned that he had spoken to his father at last, and had made plans for the two of them to meet for lunch the next day, seeming hopeful that once he explained how Sarah had tried to manipulate the situation with his missing cat, and showed his father the woman's credit reports, he would be able to prove that she was merely after their family's money, and that his father would have the good sense to drop any talk about an arranged marriage. This had seemed like great news to Kate, and she had finally begun to hope that things might potentially be going to start to sort themselves out.

 "I'm sorry about earlier..." Jumin had apologised, after a while, as he had glanced at her across the table with a complicated expression on his face. "I couldn't control my emotions. I shouldn't have blocked you like that and talked to you so forcefully. I don't want to restrain you, I want to believe that you're here because you understand how much I worry."

 "I'm here because _I'm_ worried about _you_. About you losing Elizabeth, and having to deal with this whole attempted arranged marriage situation."

 "Thank you. Although you may not understand why I have the worries and fears I do... it's enough that you're thinking of me. I don't feel good about keeping you inside; I want you to be happy while you're here. There are more places inside this building than you might think..." As Jumin had given her a rundown of the various different businesses that made up the rest of the building, Kate had reflected on his apology, and decided to accept it at face value. She knew that he was having a rough time right now, and from what she could gather from both him and the other members of the RFA, it seemed that Jumin had a long history of keeping his emotions bottled up inside. She had decided to believe that he had never meant her any harm, and merely had acted on panicked instinct. If he ever acted overly forceful towards her again, she would certainly reconsider her opinion, but for now she would give him the benefit of the doubt.

 As Jumin had concluded his verbal tour of the building, one of the guards had politely entered. "Mr Han, sir... Chief Assistant Kang is here to see you?"

 Hearing this announcement, Kate had pulled her phone from where it sat in the bag beside her, and found that she had, in fact, missed a chat in the RFA messenger earlier in the evening. It seemed that Zen had freaked out after seeing the news that she was still at Jumin's house, and uncomfortable with the idea of her staying to long, had decided to come to the penthouse to 'talk some sense' into Jumin. Jaehee had volunteered to come and check on her wellbeing instead, to avoid a potential fight between Jumin and Zen, which Kate had to agree was almost certainly for the best.

 "I can't see her right now." Jumin had informed, taking a leisurely sip of red wine. "Tell her to send me an e-mail if it's important."

 As the had guard departed to, presumably, give Jaehee the news that she had trailed out so late at night for nothing, Kate had looked across at Jumin with a stern expression. "Jaehee did mention in the messenger that she was going to come here. We can't see her? She came all this way."

 "Don't worry, she'll email me about anything she truly needs." With a gentle smile in her direction, he had added. "I don't want anyone to interfere in this perfect moment. I want to focus on you."

 **

 Chewing on her lower lip, Kate looked back down at the text from her sister. 

  _Hey Kate, called by your place earlier but you weren't home? Wasn't important, just wanted to see you. Hope you're doing ok! x_

 How was she supposed to respond? 'Went to meet a stranger who I'm fairly sure I have feelings for. We kissed and now I'm trapped in his penthouse apartment'? Clearly not. The situation was too complicated to get into via text, even if she did want to try and fill her in on the events of the last week. Not that she was sure she did. Perhaps it would be safer for everyone if she didn't get her sister involved in anything that was going on until the situations with both the woman trying to marry Jumin and the hacker were resolved.

  _Hi Jaime, staying with a friend for a few days. They're going through a tough time rn & don't want to leave them alone. Call me if you need anything. Love you xx_

 Kate gave a satisfied nod as she hit send. It was all true, without revealing too much, and she would be back in her own home by the end of the week anyway, so she could invite Jaime over for tea and tell her everything in person then.

 This small positive approach was enough to shed a new light on her worries over the events of the past day. No, she had to admit, she did not feel in control of the situation any more. Though she was trying her best to remain the voice of reason for Jumin, and not get swept up in his anxieties and fears, or his sudden shifts into romance, she knew that a large percentage of the time she was not really managing to take charge of the situations they found themselves in. But love was not about control. As long as she was being there for him when he needed her, and supporting him as best she could, then she was doing enough. She was making the right decisions.

 There was nothing to be worried about. Everything was going to work out in the end.


	6. Late Night Chat

 Quiet. That was the first thing that Kate noticed as she awoke in the guest bedroom of Jumin's apartment. Aside from the steady ticking of a clock elswhere in the penthouse, that everything was completely still and quiet. No intrusive sounds broke through the night, no intrusive thoughts swirled through her head. She felt peaceful, for the first time in days. She stretched out, snuggling deeper into the duvet as she groggily reached across to the nightstand for her phone, staring down at the screen for what was probably an unnecessary amount of time until the numbers came into focus and her tired eyes were able to decipher the time. Almost 2am. She wasn't going to be able to comfortably go back to sleep, she realised, unless she first got up for a glass of water.

 Reluctantly climbing out of the duvet, she padded over to the door and out into the apartment, the layout already second nature to her after hours of pacing around it earlier in the day. Passing by the entrance to the main living space, she paused, seeing a figure in one of the armchairs off to the side. Moving into the room, she found her host sitting in the darkened room, silhouetted by the moonlight, seeming to be completely lost in thought.

 "Jumin?" She frowned as she moved closer. Wasn't he was suffering enough from everything that had been going on over the last couple of days? He really didn't need to be adding exhaustion into the mix. He should be sleeping! "Are you okay?"

 He looked up suddenly, as though only just becoming aware of her presence, concern plastered all over his face. "Kate, you're still awake? Is something uncomfortable? It's not even nearly morning yet."

 "I could say the same to you! What are you doing up so late?"

 "I wanted to listen to you sleep. You can't know how wonderful it is to hear you breathe when you're sleeping." He smiled up at her serenely, reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair back from her face. "When the moonlight hits your hair, all the anxiety that's been torturing me throughout the day magically disappears, and for a while, tranquil and beautiful peace persists." His smile faded away, replaced by a complicated sadness as his eyes broke away from hers. "But once the sun comes up and you start your day, I'll be anxious again. Anxious thoughts of you leaving, of someone making you leave..."

 Sinking into the seat closest to him, Kate reached across to give his hand a supportive squeeze, glad that he finally seemed comfortable talking candidly about his emotions with her. "Did you have those same feelings towards Elizabeth?"

 "Not this much... but feebly, yes." Jumin admitted, reluctantly. "And I realised after losing her that if there's someone I want to protect, I have to be by her side all if the time. And the person I want to protect right now is you, Kate."

 "I understand that you're just trying to do what's right." Kate smiled calmly. "But you have to know that I can't just start living here? We've only known each other for a week."

 "I know that I'm not rational," Jumin agreed quietly. "But I know how special you are. So I don't want you to go anywhere, I want to overprotect you. But I know myself. Once this anxiety goes away, I will be rational again. So please just bare with me."

 "OK. I can give you some time to sort out how you're feeling." Kate frowned thoughtfully for a moment, something suddenly occurring to her that she hadn't really thought about before. He'd admitted to wanting to overprotect her to keep her from harm. It seemed like maybe this was about more than just a missing cat. "Your friend, Rika... was she special to you as well?"

 "Rika?" Jumin repeated, a brief flash of shock passing over his features before he nodded slowly, almost hesitantly. "Rika was a special person too, although I could never have her. She was so kind and generous, and amazingly charismatic. Until I met Rika, all the women around just liked to flatter me, so I thought highly of a woman who spent her life truly trying to help others. The fact that I didn't have anything that she wanted made me feel free, comfortable, innocent. She deserved all the love that V gave her."

 "Were you close to her?" Kate queried, though she was unsure which response to that question would be better; a 'no' meaning that Jumin had never had a chance to have a real friendship with someone who was so impactful on his view of others, while a 'yes' meant that the grief he must have felt after losing someone so important to him must have surely been unbearable.

 "I think we were, as friends. Until I joined the RFA, V & Rika were the only ones I opened up to. I liked spending time with her; I still remember how she always looked at me as though she were analysing me. Whenever she looked at me like that, I felt like she saw everything inside of me, even my ugly side. It's quite strange to think, I suppose, but it made me feel better when I did. I felt as if she were seeing the real me."

 "Did you have feelings for her?" She wasn't entirely sure where the question came from. It's not like the answer were any of her business, after all, yet still she heard the words coming out of her mouth. The way he'd spoken of her, both now and in the past, had had a certain reverence. _You're jealous_. She pushed the thought away. That wasn't true. The only reason she was asking was to help him work through his emotions, to get to the bottom of what was really plaguing him. She just wanted to help.

 "I didn't even think about my emotions towards her, since she was never going to be mine. But..." Jumin trailed off, his face betraying the battle of emotions going on inside of his head. Realising that she was still holding his hand, Kate squeezed again, hoping she might be able to bring him some level of comfort merely from being close. He wasn't alone. He didn't have to face any of this alone, not while she was here. After a few moments, he continued in a small voice. "I did think that she was the only woman who could truly understand me. Before Rika, I couldn't find anybody who'd make me feel comfortable. My father's girlfriends, his new wife, women who liked me for my wealth, businessmen, wealthy people, employees... I couldn't share my emotions with anyone around me. The more they approached me, the more I shut my doors and became used to saying only what was needed. To be honest, I think I have always known. That I'm not the man the world wants. That I'm a mutant. That though on the outside, I may seem like an eloquent gentleman with good manners; on the inside I'm just a weak person who has to fight away twisted thoughts. Thoughts of locking you inside my world and never letting you go." He paused for a moment, before looking up at her with anxious eyes. "It's the first time I've mentioned this to anyone. It's making me nervous. Won't you think me strange after knowing all this? Can you... accept me as I am?"

 "Of course I don't think you strange. I can't even imagine how it must have felt to be surrounded by so many people with insincere intentions. I am truly so sorry that you never felt like you had people that you could open up to before, who could support you. But you can open up to me now, and to the others. We're all here for you, and we all care."

 "I feel like this is a dream." Jumin's face was filled with emotion as he looked up at her, so much so that she couldn't quite tell what he was feeling. She wished that there was something she could do to help him. To calm things down so that he could process it all. "Every time I realise how precious you are to me, I have to fight. So many thoughts of you roam around my head. Anxiety, happiness, fear, pleasure, anger and love... All related to you. It's as if my emotional pipeline just burst open at once. I don't feel like I'm in perfect control of myself, so I keep fighting. I'm so afraid that if you try to leave, I will use every means possible to restrain you. That I'll turn like that. So I have to keep fighting. Two desires are clashing inside of me, but soon I want only the desire to love you to remain."

 "It's okay, Jumin. I think I understand how you feel better now than before. I can wait for you to figure things out."

 "Good. Please just wait a bit more, because I'm very afraid of hurting you." His face softened as he met her gaze, anxiety seeming to wash away as he let out a long breath. "Thank you. After talking to you like this, I feel much more comfortable. I really had no idea that someone like you would pop into my life without any notice. You reach out your hand without expecting anything in return, you listen to me and nod, and you've accepted things about me that others refused. Words become meaningful once they reach you."

 Kate felt the blush rising up her cheeks as he spoke, the heat radiating from her face a tell-tale sign that she was very quickly turning a particular shade of pink. "You give me too much credit. I'm really nothing special, I think you've just been unfortunate in your acquaintances."

 "That's not true, you _are_ special. I can't control myself very well right now because I get excited too easily, but once my current emotions calm down, I want us to be a couple. Like normal people." A slight blush rose on Jumin's cheeks as well as he quietly added, "I hope that day comes soon."

 "I think I would like that. But remember that I'm not the only one who is here for you. You have the other RFA members, including Jaehee. She was the one who asked me to come here in the first place because she was concerned about your wellbeing. Not as your employee, but as your friend. The others care about you, even if they don't always know how to show it, so please don't think that you're alone."

 "You're right. Perhaps I should be more open towards them now." He nodded slowly, perhaps making plans and thinking over the future that they were planning together. "I'll go see my father in the morning. I'll turn our relationship back to the way it was so that that woman can no longer be a potential threat... and, of course, because family is important."

 "Yeah, that sounds good. Everything is going to work out." Kate assured, echoing the words that she had said to herself earlier in the night. Everything was going to be fine. It had to be. They'd been through enough, and now it was time for things to improve.

 "It will." Jumin agreed, with a smile. "I'll make sure of it, for our sake."


	7. Positive Thoughts

 The sun had been high in the sky and streaming in through the large window across the room by the time Kate Lee had come into consciousness the next morning, bathing her in a gentle warmth as she had groggily looked around at her surroundings, trying to remember exactly where she was. _Right. Still at Jumin's house._ She had pulled herself out of bed and dressed quickly, equal parts embarrassed to have slept so uncharacteristically late whilst a guest in someone else's home, and just eager to get out into the main living space of the apartment so that she could check in on her host and make sure that he was doing ok.

 Her unexpected conversation with Jumin in the night, whilst managing to leave her feeling a little more positive about the future and hopeful that things might improve for the both of them soon, had also revealed to her a whole new well of pain in Jumin's heart, one that she suspected he had been keeping hidden from everyone for quite some time. He'd had complex feelings for his friend, it had seemed, which had only made his grief over her death that much more complicated, and had prompted him to try and overprotect those that he cared about, some part deep within him scared to lose someone else important to him. Terrified, to the point of caging poor Elizabeth the 3rd in the interest of 'safety' before she had gone missing. This was likely why he had been acting so irrationally fearful of the idea of her leaving to go back to her everyday life, Kate had realised during the course of the conversation, and she could only hope that now he had confronted the feelings and emotions he had had regarding his late friend, he might be able to find a way forward from them. To realise that there was not just one person in the history of his life who might be capable of understanding him, that others can and did care about him, and that closing his doors to everyone, both figuratively _and_ literally, was not a healthy way for him to live.

 But searching the rest of the apartment, Kate had found it empty, Jumin having apparently already left for the day to visit the C&R offices and later meet up with his father as he had promised that he would the night before. Unsure of what else to do, she had returned to the bedroom to retrieve her phone, sending a quick text to Jumin apologising for missing him while she slept, and wishing him luck for his meeting with his father. _It'll all work out. It has to._

  **

 Around an hour and 2 coffees after emerging from the guest bedroom and into an empty apartment, Kate was sitting cross-legged on the sofa in Jumin's living room, eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled back through the chats she'd missed in the RFA messenger while she'd slept. Yoosung and Seven had reached wherever it was they'd been going, after driving all through the night, and somewhere around an hour before Kate had woken that morning, Seven had posted a list of instructions for the RFA to follow were he to go missing, which she had to admit, she found a little unsettling. He'd been vague about where they were going, but since the whole time she'd known him he'd been working on tracking down the hacker that had lured her out to their friend's apartment, she could only assume that it was all connected. Was whoever this person was really so dangerous? Perhaps Seven was only joking, and something was getting lost in translation?  _Probably just a joke. He's usually joking... right?_

 Just as she had decided to hope for the best, Jaehee popped into the messenger.

  **Jaehee Kang: Kate, did you read what Seven said?**

  _OK, so not a mis-translation, then._

  **Kate: Yeah, I just saw it.**

  **Kate: ...Do you think they're ok?**

  **Jaehee Kang: I don't know.**

  **Jaehee Kang: He wrote down what we should do if he goes missing.**

  **Jaehee Kang: I'm worried he'll leave a will next time.**

 After some back and forth in which they both agreed that they were concerned about the two youngest members of the group, but that they were going to hope for the best, Kate found herself looking for another topic to move onto. She felt bad for distracting Jaehee with conversation in the messenger when almost certainly had a small mountain of work she should be focusing on, but alone in the penthouse there wasn't a lot else for her to do. Usually if she was feeling alone or bored, she would call up her sister for a chat. But since she didn't want to discuss the topic of where she was or what exactly she was doing with her younger sibling right now, messaging Jaehee was pretty much the closest she was going to get.

  **Kate: How are things at the office?**

  **Kate: Did Jumin get there alright?**

  **Jaehee Kang: Mr Han had something to take care of so he's stopping by somewhere else on the way**

  **Jaehee Kang: The office is.... the same as yesterday.**

  _Meaning it's in chaos. Nothing has changed. Everything is still terri-_ No. She cut off the negative thought before it could finish. _Everything is going to be ok. Things are going to improve._  Just because they hadn't literally changed overnight didn't mean that nothing was going to get better. If they all tried to be positive, then good things would happen.

 Jaehee seemed to share this thought, going on to mention Jumin's scheduled meeting with his father, sharing that she had sent over the financial documents she had managed to dig up on Sarah, and that she hoped that once Jumin's father had read over them, he might reconsider his feelings towards the woman. She noted that though he was currently upset with his son, it was likely this was because he had heard only one side of the story, one that Kate suspected had been severely exaggerated and twisted, especially considering the circumstances under which Sarah had left the apartment the afternoon before. There was no way she hadn't made herself the victim in whatever version of events she had presented to others after leaving. _Why choose that moment for the kiss? That was a terrible idea_. Kate frowned at her own negative thought, before correcting it to something more positive. _Not true. It was a perfectly enjoyable experience. Perhaps somewhat badly timed, but Sarah_ had _been being rude, so..._

 Turning her attention back to the messenger, she tried to refocus her thoughts.

  **Jaehee Kang: I spoke with Mr Han, but he refused to discuss your return home.**

  **Jaehee Kang: You have to return to Rika's apartment before the party.**

  _You're killing me here, Jaehee. Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts._

  **Jaehee Kang: I have no idea what Mr Han is thinking these days.**

  **Kate: I think Jumin just needs a little more time to work through things.**

  **Kate: Let's just be patient :)**

  **Jaehee Kang: I suppose that there's nothing we can do but wait.**

  **Jaehee Kang: He has refused to talk to anyone except you**

  **Jaehee Kang: ...As his assistant who's worked for him for years, I feel very discouraged.**

  **Kate: I understand. I hope that soon he will realise that the rest of the RFA,**

  **Kate: Especially you, Jaehee**

  **Kate: All care about him**

  **Kate: And that he can open up to more than just me.**

  **Jaehee Kang: Yes.**

  **Jaehee Kang: I hope to see him back to his normal self as soon as possible.**

  **Jaehee Kang: But since you are the only person that Mr Han will listen to right now,**

  **Jaehee Kang: Please... take good care of him.**

  **Kate: I will. I promise.**

  **Kate: Thank you for always being there for him**

  **Jaehee Kang: I...**

  **Jaehee Kang: Must get back to work now.**

 Wishing Jaehee good luck with her work and logging out of the messenger, Kate was surprised to find that she was still feeling rather positive. The C&R offices were in chaos, two of her new friends were potentially in danger, and as far as she knew, her friend/maybe-boyfriend was still under threat of an arranged marriage. So, knowing all that, why was she smiling? _Maybe it's a caffeine high? Or the stress of this week has been too much and you've finally snapped?_

 She was smiling, Kate mused, because she actually felt calm for the first time in days. She could see an end to their worries. Or, at the very least, a turning point. Jumin was going to meet with his father in a few hours. Perhaps he would change his mind about pushing for the marriage, or perhaps not, but at least the pair of them would be talking again, which had to be less stressful for Jumin than dodging phonecalls and hiding away in the penthouse. Jaehee was feeling discouraged that Jumin wasn't talking to the other members of the RFA, but that had, in fact, been the very topic of her discussion with Jumin in the night, and she was certain she had gotten through to him about the importance of opening up to his friends. And once the immediate stress of these things started to die down, he could begin to think more rationally again, and realise that she needed to return home. That they could begin a proper relationship, a one just like normal people, just as he wanted, once they resumed their every day lives.

 Everything was going to work out.

  _Of course, there is one thing without an end in sight._  The thought crept up on Kate without warning, and she bit her lip, smile falling away. _Elizabeth is still missing._


	8. Elizabeth the 3rd/Good Tidings

  _"Don't worry. Just do what you need to do and I can take care of Elizabeth."_ This is a terrible idea. _"Elizabeth the 3rd? She was right here... where did she go?"_

_"I feel as if I've been betrayed." "I'll be here until you're feeling better. You can trust me."_ What were you even thinking?

_"I've realised what I truly wanted thanks to my cat going missing. I want you."_ Too fast. This is too fast. _"For now, I'll stay."_

_"Will you disappear like Elizabeth the 3rd once you leave?"_

_"Anxious thoughts of you leaving, of someone making you leave..."_

_"Two desires are clashing inside of me, but soon I want only the desire to love you to remain."_

_"I want us to be a couple. Like normal people."_

Everything is going to work out. Everything is going to be ok.

_Elizabeth is still missing._  

** 

Kate Lee awoke with a start to the sound of her ringtone filling the otherwise silent penthouse. Shaking the memories of the last couple of days from her mind, she pulled herself into an upright position on the sofa, cursing herself for dozing off while she'd been waiting to hear news from Jumin or Jaehee on how the meeting between Jumin and his father had gone. She was still tired from her late night chat, she suspected, though she knew that being inside for so long over the last couple of days probably wasn't helping her energy levels much, either. Ignoring that thought as best she could, she reached across for her phone, glancing at the caller ID before answering.

 "Yoosung?" 

 "I-it's me. I ended up driving us back and just got confused... You're the only one I felt like I could call."

 "It's OK, Yoosung. Everything's going to be fine. Just tell me everything slowly."

 "I'm shocked to see Seven acting like this. I thought Seven was stronger than anyone I know and I'm so worried about him. I wish Jumin were here. He'd be able to think objectively about the situation."

 "I think Jumin's still meeting with his father right now." She wasn't sure of the time since she'd fallen asleep, but she hadn't heard from him yet, so it seemed likely that was the case. With a slight frown, she added. "But is Seven OK? And you? We've all been really worried about you both since Seven posted in the messenger this morning. What happened?"

 "Seven told me not to say anything so I can't, but I'm sure that something strange is happening around him. Just pray for us that everything will work out. I'm going to pray too... there's nothing else I can do."

 "Everything's going work out. I promise." Kate had said this a lot over the last day or so, and her biggest wish was that she could actually believe it herself as surely as she sounded whenever she said it to someone else. Everything _was_ going to work out, right?

 "I hope so. And tell Jumin that Elizabeth is safe in my arms. I feel like we solved one thing and another just blew up."

 "Wait, _what_?" Kate blinked in confusion. _Did he just say-_ "You found Elizabeth!? Where was she!?"

 Kate heard the sound of Seven's voice somewhere in the background of the phonecall and realised that Yoosung hadn't heard her questions. The two had a brief, muffled conversation, which she couldn't quite make out, before the youngest member of the RFA returned his attention back to her phonecall.

 "I'm sorry, I have to stop the car right now." 

"Did you say you found Elizabeth?" She knew it was probably quite rude to focus on the cat instead of the wellbeing of her new friends, but the idea just seemed so unlikely. They'd been to where the hacker was, right? At least, that's what she'd assumed. _Why would Elizabeth have been there?_

 "Yeah, she's safe with us. I can't talk right now, but I'll tell everyone the details later!"

 "OK, that's fine." She was reluctant to leave the conversation where it was, but at least she was able to put to rest two of the major worries of the day. Her friends were safe. Elizabeth was safe. _Everything is going to be OK_. "Just stay safe, all three of you. I'll talk to you later."

 Hanging up the phonecall, Kate went straight to the messenger app on her phone, wanting to make sure she hadn't slept through any other major developments. Scrolling back through the messages she'd missed, she saw that Zen and Yoosung had both been active in the chatroom a little earlier on. It seemed that the place that Yoosung and Seven had gone to, the one surrounded by such mystery, was some strange building up in the mountains. But more than that, it seemed to be the exact same place that Zen had seen days before when he'd dreamt about Elizabeth's disappearance, before she'd actually gone missing. _I don't believe in psychics, but that's... pretty weird, I have to admit_. They'd eventually noticed a white blur in the corner of the photo Yoosung had shared, and had logged out when Yoosung had gone to investigate. 

  _That must have been Elizabeth. How did she get there?_

 Before she could finish scrolling through the messages she'd missed, a notification popped up in the messenger, drawing Kate's attention.

  **[Jaehee Kang has entered the Chatroom]**

  **Jaehee Kang: Kate? The meeting went well. The marriage hasn't been called off completely...**

  **Jaehee Kang: But I'm sure Mr Chairman no longer trusts Sarah completely either**

  **Kate: That's great news! How is Jumin?**

  **Jaehee Kang: I told Mr Han the good news that we found Elizabeth, but he doesn't seem to want to bring her home...**

  **Jaehee Kang: I don't know what to tell Yoosung. I plan to talk about this with Mr Han when possible.**

  **Kate: That is concerning...**

  **Kate: I'll talk to him about it too, when I see him.**

  **Jaehee Kang: Perhaps it's because I haven't seen Mr Han in the office the last couple of days, but he's changed a bit...**

  **Jaehee Kang: How should I put it...?**

  **[Jumin Han has entered the Chatroom]**

  **Kate: Jumin! Hello :)**

  **Kate: I heard the meeting went well**

  **Jumin Han: Kate, hello.**

 Kate found herself smiling when he addressed her. _He literally just said hello, that's nothing to get excited about_. But she knew it wasn't really the greeting that was making her giddy. It was the fact that everything really did seem to be working itself out. Elizabeth was no longer missing, Jumin had convinced his father to some degree that the women in his life were being manipulative and couldn't be trusted. Everything really was going to be OK.

 Glancing back down at the messenger, Kate found that Jumin had thanked Jaehee for her hard work, offering her holiday time as a thank you, leaving his assistant completely dumbfounded. Kate's smile widened. He seemed to be doing better since their talk last night, if this conversation was anything to go by. She found herself suddenly anxious to see him, to assess for herself, in person, how he was really doing.

  **Jumin Han: Think about the dates you want and tell me. I have to go.**

  **Jumin Han: Kate,**

  **Jumin Han: I miss you so much I can't stand it.**

  **Kate: Aww, I miss you too.**

  **Jumin Han: I have to visit a couple of places first... but I'll be home as soon as I can.**

  **Jumin Han: Thinking of seeing you at home makes me excited.**

  **Jumin Han: Please excuse me.**

  **[Jumin Han has left the chatroom]**

  **Jaehee Kang: Am I dreaming?? Holiday?**

  **Kate: CONGRATS!! :D**

  **Jaehee Kang: Thank you. Mr Han thanked me after the meeting earlier,**

  **Jaehee Kang: which was shocking enough, but a holiday?**

  **Jaehee Kang: Do you think he feels bad about closing the door on me last night?**

  **Kate: It makes me happy to see him be nice to you,**

  **Kate: And I'm sure that it's here to stay**

 **

 The hours after her chat with Jaehee passed by without incident, with Kate checking into the messenger every now and then to keep up to date on what was going on with everyone else. Yoosung had taken in Elizabeth 3rd until Jumin could be persuaded to take her back, and though he didn't seem to be thrilled by the idea of looking after her for any length of time, Kate was sure she had to be safer in his hands than in some weird building in the mountains in the company of someone who was plotting against the RFA for unknown reasons. And she knew that Jumin would come to his senses soon, and take her back. _Hopefully, anyway._

 Seven  _claimed_ to be doing OK, but Kate wasn't so sure. He was always hard for her to read, but considering his posts to the messenger that morning, and the fact that Yoosung had mentioned on the phone that afternoon that he was acting out of character, she couldn't help but be concerned. He certainly seemed to be lacking his usual spirit when he'd briefly logged into the messenger to alert the group that the hacker was no longer going be a problem, and Kate had briefly tried to call him to check up on him, but had given up after the second unanswered call. He probably had someone closer to him than she was to talk with, and she was sure he would call back if and when he was ready to. 

 She'd spent the rest of the afternoon working through the small collection of emails that had built up on her phone from the potential party guests, realising that she hadn't really been thinking too much about the party over the last couple of days, despite it looming on the horizon, having been too distracted by everything that was going on in Jumin's life. Now that everything seemed to be settling down, for the most part at least, she could see that they already had a few RSVPs, something she could only assume was a testament to the quality of the RFA's previous parties, considering Kate herself had never before been responsible for planning an event like this, and was pretty much just making it up as she went along.

 She had just finished replying to the last query in her inbox when she heard the front door of the penthouse open, and glanced up from her phone to see Jumin making his way into the living space.

 "Kate," Though he looked a little weary, a genuine smile formed on Jumin's lips. "How was your day?"

 "Good. I actually ended up napping a lot, but I managed to get a few things done as well. Welcome home."

 The smile on Jumin's face widened, his silver-grey eyes crinkling in elation. "It's a very happy thing to have someone greet you when you come into your home. I'd like for you to greet me every day, but I guess that we need time."

 "I may not be able to greet you at home every day, but I could always call you after work?" Kate suggested, trying to not to blush over Jumin's candidness. Setting down her phone properly, she patted the seat beside her on the sofa, inviting him to sit with her and talk. "I heard that the meeting with your father went well?"

 He took a seat beside her. Hesitantly, at first, before relaxing once she gave him an encouraging smile. "It went fairly well. He's so into that woman that he didn't change his opinion at once, but for the time being I don't think they will be able to manipulate him. I had to describe my feelings towards you to convince my father... and that helped me organise my thoughts. I'm a lucky man to have met someone so pure and wise as you. It's quite embarrassing to say, but... thank you for being by my side, Kate."

 "Y-you don't need to thank me." Kate stammered, the blush that she'd been fighting now rising up across her face. She wasn't used to being complimented so freely, and wasn't entirely sure that she deserved it. "I'm only doing what anyone would do."

 "No, you really are so special. You are warm and soft; the kind words that come out of your pretty lips move my heart. At times, I don't want to do anything but rely on you. While we were apart today, I kept remembering what you said to me last night, about not being alone. Every time that I remembered that, I couldn't help but smile. And I realised you were right. Kate, as long as our hearts are together then it doesn't matter if we are physically apart. We'll still be together."

 "Of course we will. I may have to return to your friend's apartment to prepare for the party soon, but that doesn't mean that we're never going to see each other again. And once I get back to my own home, we can visit each other any time."

 "Yes. Things are going well with my father and Seven says the hacker issue is solved, so I no longer have an excuse to keep you here. I may not want to let you go, but I shouldn't be childish about it any longer. I'll make sure you can go back to Rika's safely first thing in the morning. I'm sorry I've kept you here so long."

 "You don't need to apologise." Kate reached out and squeezed his hand supportively. "I know you were only trying to keep me safe, and I truly appreciate that."

 After a few moments of comfortable silence, Kate realised that she had probably been holding his hand longer than was socially acceptable. _Unless we're dating. Are we dating?_   _There've been no actual dates._  Pulling her hand back as casually as possible, she quickly found a new topic of conversation to distract from her unsure thoughts.

 "Um, so what do you plan to do about Elizabeth? Shouldn't you bring her back home soon?"

 "For now, I plan to return Elizabeth the 3rd to V at the party. I was... a bad owner. I've never treated her as a normal cat. To be honest, I'm too ashamed to take care of her now. I want her to be loved as a true cat from now on."

 "Whatever your personal concerns, I truly think Elizabeth will be most happy by your side."

 "Do you think so? I still remember her eyes when she looked at me. She never had a lot of expression, so I can't be sure that she was ever happy, but I'll think about it again since you've said that."

 "Good. I know that your feelings towards Elizabeth are rather complicated, but I'm sure that your behaviour towards her has been as bad as you think. Just think about it, OK?"

 "I will. I promise."

 "Glad to hear it." Kate smiled. He'd make the right decision, she was sure of it. And once Elizabeth returned to Jumin, and she returned to her own home after the RFA party, everything could go back to normal again, or as close to it as possible without undoing the positive changes in their lives.

  _Everything is going to work out._

 


	9. Open Hearts & Anxious Minds

Everything was going to work out. That's what Kate had told herself, and surely it was true. She'd done all that she could for Jumin, supporting him through a tough week of his life, and now things seemed to be on the mend. Jumin's relationship with his father appeared to be improving, and Elizabeth, while not yet having returned home, was at least rescued and being cared for in a safe place. Kate herself was set to return to the RFA founder's apartment the next day, and after the fundraising party that they were scheduled to host in a couple of days time, she would be able to return to the comfort of her own home, and to her normal everyday routine, albeit with the addition of a few new important people in her life. Everything on the immediate horizon was looking good... so why exactly did she have a nagging feeling that something wasn't right?

It certainly didn't help, Kate decided, that the later it got, the more anxious her host appeared to be becoming. After a perfectly satisfying evening meal together involving delicious food, pleasant music and enjoyable conversation, Jumin's mood began to turn erratic, with sudden bouts of melancholy and periods of visible distress, despite the fact Kate could determine no cause for the changes. In fact, she realised about an hour or so after the first sudden shift in emotions, his behaviour was very similar to the first night that she had arrived. _Things aren't really improving. You probably haven't even helped him at all._  

Unable to silence the negative thoughts that she'd managed to repress over the last day or so, Kate felt herself withdrawing somewhat, and despite being aware that she was acting much more quietly than usual, just couldn't quite seem to find the words to keep a conversation going for any length of time.

"It will be time to go to bed soon." Jumin remarked quietly, after a long period of silence between the two of them. He wore a serious expression on his face, something akin to sadness in his eyes, and for a brief moment she wasn't completely sure whether he was speaking to her or to himself. "The more I think about how this is our last night together..."

"I'm sure it won't be our last night together _ever_." Kate assured, with an attempt at a supportive smile. "I'm sure I can come back to visit you again in the future. Or you can come visit me, once we've had the party and I've gone back to my proper home."

Some of the sadness seemed to leave Jumin's face, and Kate became a little surer in her smile. _He's just concerned about the future, that's all. I just need to show him that it will be alright._ With a bright smile, she reached across to give his hand a squeeze, wanting show him that she was here, and that everything would work out because they were together,  because they could rely on each other. Feeling his body tense under her touch, she immediately withdrew her hand, smile dropping from her face.

"Knowing that this is our last night together makes me want to make this a special night." Jumin admitted, turning a conflicted gaze in her direction. There was sadness, anxiety, guilt.. and something she couldn't quite place. "But I plan to keep my control. I know that it is too soon for such thoughts."

Oh. _Oh._ Kate felt an uncontrollable blush rise onto her cheeks as she processed the meaning of his words. "Oh, I, um..."

He quickly averted his gaze from her, expression becoming pained. "If I see the tiniest bit of an opening, I don't know what I might do. So, for tonight, try to keep a conservative mind."

"Of course. It's not like I normally... I mean, I've never _not_ been conservative. Intentionally, at least. I think." Kate stammered, suddenly very aware of herself, and the potential effect that her words and actions might have had over the last few days. "Have I?"

"You really are lovely." Jumin remarked, smiling at her with a suddenly soft expression, though she wasn't entirely sure if that was in response to her question, or... _wait, why am I the one that has to 'be conservative'? He's the one that's suddenly saying all of these things!_ He reached out towards her, as if to brush the hair from her face, before coming to his senses, and pulling back his hand with a serious look. "But I don't wish to do anything that might make you uncomfortable, so please."

"You don't make me uncomfortable." Kate assured, before remembering what he'd asked of her and adding. "But, of course I'll try to be more aware of myself. I don't want to do anything that might make you feel more complicated."

 "Thank you. You truly do make me happy. Then, perhaps it is time for bed, my Angel?"

 **

Sleep did not come easily for Kate Lee that night. Head swirling with too many thoughts as she replayed her last conversation with Jumin in her head, she found herself tossing and turning far more than usual as she attempted to figure out how she was feeling. How exactly _did_ she feel about Jumin? About what he'd said to her? Flattered, she supposed. Not just by the idea that he wanted to... _well_. She was honestly and truly moved that he had opened up to her, that he was beginning to speak with her so freely about the feelings and thoughts that he had been bottling up for so long. But she knew that it was a delicate line. He complimented her so sincerely, and spoke as though she were a turning point in his life, but she wanted to show him that she wasn't the only one who cared about him. It was important that he learn that there were others who could lend him emotional support, and that the changes in his thoughts and behaviour were, in fact, coming from himself. 

After over an hour of stewing in her own thoughts, Kate finally gave up on the idea of sleep, instead reaching across for her phone in the hope that she might distract herself. Opening up the messenger app in the hope of a conversation that might take her mind off of everything enough to help her get to sleep, she found that the only member of the RFA logged into the chatroom was actually the object of her wayward thoughts; Jumin Han himself.

**[Kate has entered the chatroom]**

**Kate: Hello, Jumin.**

**Jumin Han: It's past midnight. And we're the only ones here...**

**Jumin Han: In the middle of the night. How interesting.**

**Kate: Jumin... shouldn't you be sleeping?**

**Jumin Han: I can't sleep yet. Because I know that I'll have to let you go when the sun comes up.**

Kate had to admit, she was feeling the same. She'd spent days worrying if her decision to stay in the penthouse was actually a wise one, or whether it was only serving to feed Jumin's paranoia, but now that the end of her stay was in sight, she was almost disappointed to be leaving. Knowing that in only a few hours, she would no longer be sharing Jumin's home and life, she couldn't help but be a little sad.

**Jumin Han: Although I'm wide awake, I wish you'd sleep now. You should at least rest up before you leave.**

**Kate: I can't sleep either.**

**Kate: Once I leave, I'll miss this penthouse.**

**Jumin Han: I'm glad you like the place.**

**Jumin Han: Before I used to change everything I don't like about this house, but now it doesn't have to be so perfect any more.**

**Jumin Han: It's perfect as long as you are here.**

**Jumin Han: Without you here... this place, and my heart... will feel so empty.**

**Kate: You don't need to feel empty. We have so much time to spend together!**

**Jumin Han: I'm comforting myself by saying the same thing.**

**Jumin Han: I'll try to be more relaxed. Thank you.**

**Jumin Han: I'm imagining how cute you must be fidgeting with your phone on your bed.**

**Jumin Han: I wish you'd realise how lovely you are.**

Realising the conversation was starting to veer a little, and remembering Jumin's request that she keep things proper, she quickly fished around for another topic of conversation, settling on the most important thing that was yet to be decided.

**Kate: You're too kind :)**

**Kate: But... Have you thought about what to do with Elizabeth?**

**Jumin Han: I haven't decided yet. A lot of complicated problems are tangled up.**

**Jumin Han: I don't know if I can take care of her as a good pet owner. And there's something holding me back...**

**Kate: What is it?**

**Jumin Han: I... want to talk about it with V first.**

**Jumin Han: I'm not trying to hide anything from you. It's just that V is involved.**

**Jumin Han: Come to think of it, I projected too many things onto that cat.**

**Jumin Han: Kate, ever since you showed up in my life...**

**Jumin Han: Every day I've been realising something new.**

**Jumin Han: I never believed that people can change... I never expected that someone would be able to untangle this old knot inside of me.**

**Jumin Han: I only ever thought about myself before I experienced what 'love' is.**

**Jumin Han: I want you to know that a whole new world has opened up for me thanks to you.**

_Wait... did he just say?_

**Kate: 'Love'?**

**Jumin Han: No one, not even Elizabeth the 3rd, could change me. But you magically could...**

**Jumin Han: I have nothing but the desire to make you happy. Perhaps this is called 'love'.**

**Jumin Han: I still can't believe that I'm like this.**

**Jumin Han: I would really like to just hold your hand... and go out on a date some day.**

**Jumin Han: Would that be possible for me?**

**Kate: Of course!**

**Kate: We can go on dates and do anything that we want.**

**Kate: We have the whole future ahead of us.**

**Jumin Han: I like the sound of that.**

**

The next thing that Kate was aware of was the brightness of the sun against her closed eyes. Looking across at the clock, she saw that it was already morning, and realised she must have fallen asleep almost immediately after her conversation with Jumin the night before. Deciding that it was already a reasonable hour to be up and about, she dragged herself out of the bed and began to dress.

She was leaving Jumin's house today, which she knew meant that she should really try to make her scheduled shift at work. And though the very idea of walking back into work after the weekend as if the crazy events of the last few days hadn't happened felt unfair to how meaningful her time with Jumin had been, she knew that it was ultimately for the best. If they wanted to begin a healthy relationship, they were going to need space as well as time... and as much as she adored her new friends, everything that went on around them was frankly exhausting. It would be good to have some relative peace and quiet again.

Moving out into the living space, she found Jumin was already up and dressed, finishing off a phonecall with someone or other as she entered the room. Seeing her enter the room, he dropped his phone back into his suit pocket and regarded her with a gentle smile.

"Kate, good morning. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes. After our conversation in the messenger I slept very well." Kate's smile faded into concern as she noticed that behind his smile, he was looking rather worn. "How about you? Did you sleep well?"

"I don't feel tired at all after seeing you. But I couldn't sleep at all thinking that you'll leave today."

"I understand, I feel the same way. I'll feel sad to be apart from you, but we'll see each other again very soon, and we have many happy times ahead of us. So don't feel too sad."

"You say such kind things." Jumin seemed to relax a little at her words, and she was glad to see it. _Everything's going to be OK._ "Thank you, Kate... I'll keep that in mind."

"Did you... decide what you're going to do with Elizabeth yet?" That wasn't the question that's she'd really meant to ask him, but it felt too awkward to ask him about his declaration of love in the chatroom the night before. And she _was_ genuinely concerned about his reluctance to bring Elizabeth back home.

"I thought all night about Elizabeth the 3rd, but I still don't know... I'm not confident that I can take good care of her, so I want to give her back to V. But you've made me realise that it is important to take responsibility for your cat." With a complicated frown, he added. "I'll think more about what to do today."

"That's OK, take your time. I personally think that you can take very good care of her, but I want you to make the decision that is best for you."

Jumin gave an affirming nod, before moving onto the next topic of conversation. "I have to go to the office, so can I send you back to Rika's apartment after lunch?"

"Oh. I was going to go back to work today. I had the weekend off, but since I was leaving here today, I just thought..."

"I wanted to send you first thing in the morning, but... what Luciel said is getting to me. I want to talk to V about what happened with the hacker and Luciel."

"I mean, Seven _is_ acting a little off, but I'm sure I could still go to work without any problems." Kate frowned. "I know that I could still be a target for the hacker there, but Seven said that everything with them was over, right? That they'd no longer be a problem?"

"I just want to check again whether the apartment has any more issues. The hacker is the one who led you to that apartment, and if what Luciel said is true, it shouldn't be dangerous anymore, but..."

"OK." Kate resigned. "I'm not... I _trust_ you. If you're still feeling iffy about something, then I'll wait. I can just call in sick for now. That might be for the best anyway, since we have the party tomorrow, as well."

"Thank you for understanding." A look of genuine relief spread across Jumin's face as she agreed, and she tried to give him a smile, to ignore the worry creeping into her mind that she'd just made a bad decision.   _What if he just wants you to stay? He was pretty adamant he wanted you to stay before._  

No. She knew that wasn't the case. Jumin had worked past all of that. He had genuine concerns now, and was just trying to keep her safe. To look out for her.

_...Right?_


	10. Lunch

 Most of Kate Lee's Monday was spent feeling awkward and guilty. 

 Though every part of her common sense was telling her to just pack up and head back to her own apartment, she kept her word to Jumin; calling her office and pretending to be too sick to come in. She apologised profusely to her boss, spinning the story of a sudden sickness bug that she hoped would pass in the next few days. She felt terrible about lying; hearing one of her late Mother's lectures echoing in her mind during the whole phonecall to her workplace, but had steeled herself and gone through with it all the same. She wanted to trust Jumin's instincts, and give him the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to believe that he was being honest about having a bad feeling, about there being something nagging him that he couldn't quite put his finger on, and so even though some part of her had begun to panic that he was making up an excuse to keep her in his home a little while longer, she tried to ignore it, and go about her day as though everything was fine.

It didn't work.

At first, Kate had tried to relax and watch TV in Jumin's living space, but had been unable to focus on any of the different programs, finding herself just pacing around the house without purpose instead. Heading up to rooftop garden for some natural air had been no better, either, much to her frustration. Though it felt nice to be outdoors for what felt like the first time in forever, the quiet only served to give her mind more time to dwell on what was worrying her, and even without the loud thoughts in her head, she would never have been able to relax and unwind while several bodyguards watched her like hawks, as though at any moment someone might swoop in from the sky and try to attack or kidnap her. 

By the time that lunchtime rolled around, Kate was beginning to think she was losing her mind. She'd already packed up her very few belongings, ready to head back to Rika's apartment after her meal with Jumin, where she intended to finish off the few preparations that were still left to make for the party the next day, hoping that if it weren't too late, she might even be able to head back to her own home afterwards. As absolutely stunning as Jumin's penthouse was, with its luxurious furnishings and breathtaking view of the city; she was beginning to miss her own bed and being surrounded by her own belongings, and was eager to head back to her own home as soon as possible. But though she was packed and ready to go, there was one thing that was missing. _Jumin._

As hour after hour passed without the return of her new lover, Kate was beginning to fear that her worst thoughts had been true. _He promised to send me home after lunch. If he's not here, it's because he's not ready to let me go yet. Maybe there was never any bad feeling. Maybe I really am being kept here._  Trying to distract herself from her thoughts, Kate pulled out her phone and logged into the messenger, hoping that someone would be around to chat with her.

**[Kate has entered the chatroom]**  

**Jumin Han: Kate, just in time**

**Kate: Jumin!!**

**Jumin Han: I was just about to call you.**

**Jumin Han: I don't think I can go home early... I wanted to postpone our lunch and say sorry.**

_He's cancelling lunch. There was no bad feeling. What were you even thinking?_ No. She didn't know that for certain. Maybe he was just legitimately stuck in the office.

**Kate: Are you busy?**

**Jumin Han: I'm sorry for postponing it.**

**Kate: is everything ok?**

**Jumin Han: I haven't been able to reach V.**

**Jumin Han: And Assistant Kang has been handing me so many documents to sign, so I don't think I can leave very soon**

**Jumin Han: It's because we'll be taking a few days off for the party.**

**Jumin Han: I'll try to finish as soon as I can. Please wait just a bit more.**

**Kate: Ok, if it can't be helped then I guess I can wait a little longer.**

She wasn't entirely certain that it was the right choice to stay. She was packed and ready to go, and surely the bodyguards wouldn't physically stop her from leaving if she wanted to... right? She _could_ just go. Head back home, and set things right with Jumin the next day at the party, after they'd both had time alone for things to settle down.

But she wouldn't do that. She cared for him, and it was highly likely that her fears that he was just keeping her here because he was feeling possessive were just that. Fears. There was plenty of evidence that he really _had_ had a bad feeling about sending her back, and that he was just caught up at work right now. She should at least have the decency to wait until he'd managed to reach his friend and set his mind at ease before she left. Maybe it would set her mind at ease, as well.

**Jumin Han: But... I have to point out one more thing before I leave.**

**Jumin Han: I noticed while reading past messages that Zen is talking as if I've 'imprisoned' you...**

**Jumin Han: Of course I've kept you at my side for a while... But he seems to be jealous.**

**Kate: I think he's just concerned. I have been staying here for a little while now.**

**Kate: But I'll be going back to Rika's apartment soon, right?**

**Jumin Han: I'm sorry for talking about something else. I'll talk to you soon about that.**

**[Zen has entered the chatroom]**

**Zen: ...He was dissing me?**

_Oh. Good. Just what we need. More drama. Because there hasn't been enough of that this week._

**Jumin Han: Good afternoon.**

**Kate: Hello Zen**

**Zen: Hey Kate.**

**Zen Jumin Han, you...**

**Zen: Look back at what you did before pointing the stick at me!**

**Zen: If you've promised to send her after lunch, you should!! It's way past lunch now!!**

**Jumin Han: So you're saying I should let her go before giving her one last meal? How ruthless of you.**

**Zen: omg**

**Jumin Han: If you are jealous that she's comfortable and happy in my home, then I completely understand.**

**Zen: Kate's been saying all along that she wants to go home!**

Kate fought back a groan. She knew that Zen meant well by getting himself involved; that he was just concerned for her safety. From the outside this whole situation must look very dubious, she knew that well enough; it was the reason she'd chosen not to tell her sister where she really was and what she was really doing, and the reason her mind had been working overtime over the last couple of days, spinning out of control with an overwhelming amount of worries and concerns. But, at the end of the day, she knew that Jumin didn't mean her any harm. If he did, she wouldn't have fell for him the way that she had, and he wouldn't have opened up to her about his fears regarding his own thoughts and behaviour.

Things were improving slowly, and Jumin didn't need confronting about his choices, he needed emotional support and acceptance. He needed to know know that they were there for him, and on his side.

**Kate: I didn't quite say it like that, but yes, I suppose I have.**

**Kate: But because Jumin is worried for my safety, I decided to stay here a bit longer :)**

**Jumin Han: I want to send her back as soon as I'm confident that she's safe.**

**Jumin Han: But... I can't help but feel that something is off.**

**Zen: Seven said that everything's safe!**

**Jumin Han: Don't you think it's strange that he looks so depressed?**

**Jumin Han: I don't want to make a rash judgement when my love MC's safety is on the line. It's natural for me to check again and again.**

**Jumin Han: Who else will protect my love if I don't?**

**Zen: You're the most dagerous one! Who's protecting who?!**

**Jumin Han: That's a contradiction. We like each other. How can we be dangerous to each other?**

**Zen: If you like her, then don't keep her caged!!**

**Jumin Han: Hmm... what should we have for lunch?**

_I see we're getting a little off track._

**Kate: I think it's a bit too late for lunch... what time do you think you'll come home?**

**Jumin Han: Oh.. It is late so I suppose I can send you room service for lunch and have dinner together.**

**Zen: OMG**

**Zen: You plan to keep her inside until dinner??**

**Kate: I'm glad that you're worrying Zen, but I think it might be best if I talk about this with Jumin privately later on.**

**Zen: If you say so... then I'll respect your wishes.**

**Jumin Han: Thank you, Kate.**

The two continued to have a back and forth, and Kate found herself wishing that Jaehee were present, fearing that things might begin to escalate between them once again, and knowing that the other woman had a lot more experience in dealing with the pair than she did. But to Kate's surprise, things actually turned quite constructive. When Zen pointed out his concerns that Jumin were putting his own needs before Kate's, and making decisions that affected the both of them without consulting her, Jumin promised to take his advice on board. Though Kate couldn't help but feel that at the present moment it was OK to put Jumin's needs first, since he was the one in the midst of an emotional crisis, she knew that with Jumin's limited romantic experience, this was an important thing for him to learn and appreciated that Zen had pointed it out. 

**Zen: Anyways, if you really want to be in a relationship with Kate, do it the normal way**

**Zen: Like Jaehee said, go out on dates and let her go home!**

**Jumin Han: I will soon**

**Jumin Han: She did live with me for a couple of days... but soon we'll start going on proper dates.**

**Zen: Don't you think that's backwards?**

**Jumin Han: It's only because I don't think she's completely safe yet.**

**Zen: You really are busy, right? You're not just making an excuse to keep her there longer?**

**Jumin Han: I have no plans to be that selfish.**

**Zen: I seriously can't understand**

**Zen: Kate is an adult, and Seven said that the hacker is no longer dangerous.**

**Zen: I would have sent her home by now!**

**Jumin: It's not that I don't trust Luciel,**

**Jumin: It's just that he is so unstable that I feel like there's some other secret lurking around.**

**Kate: You said that this morning.**

**Kate: Are you worried that there's some other danger out there?**

**Jumin Han: I can't be sure for now... but there is definitely something.**

**Jumin Han: I have to talk with V about the details to know for sure.**

Kate let out a long breath that she hadn't even realised that she'd been holding. Though it was only a couple of typed sentences on her screen, and she could neither see his face nor hear his voice, she felt suddenly at ease, as if all of the fears from that morning suddenly washed away. _It's all going to be OK. He's not just keeping me here._

J **umin Han: I am still learning about the normal relationship that you are talking about**

**Jumin Han: But I'm discussing it with Kate, so don't worry.**

**Kate: Yeah, Jumin is slowly opening up.**

**Kate: And we're talking about things often.**

**Zen: ugh... fine. I know that it's not really my business.**

**Jumin Han: I'll take into consideration your advice. I'll pay more attention so that I don't do anything problematic.**

***

Heading into the kitchen to make herself something light for lunch, since she was apparently no longer going to be having a meal with Jumin, Kate felt lighter than she had all day. Though she had to admit that she was disappointed that she had to delay going home a bit longer once again, and a quick glance back at where her packed bag was sitting left her feeling incredibly homesick, she was feeling a lot more confident in regards to her relationship with Jumin. They'd have dinner together, and then she'd return to his friend's apartment, and finalise the last couple of details of the party. There'd still be time for everything, she was sure, and she'd be back in her own bed after the party the next day.

And more important than that, Jumin seemed to be doing OK. He was back to work, taking on all of the responsibilities that he'd been neglecting over the last couple of days once again, and what she had feared was signs of his paranoia and possessiveness beginning to resurface appeared to be just genuine, warranted concern. And once he managed to get in contact with V, she was sure that his closest friend would be able to alleviate those concerns. 

_Everything will work out._

Sitting down at the kitchen counter with a sandwich in hand, Kate opened up the emails associated with the messenger app. There were a few guests that still hadn't confirmed their attendance, and now seemed like as good a time as any to chase them up. 

The party was less than a day away; she had a lot of work to do.


End file.
